Whatever you do, do not scream
by DarkMickey
Summary: The Titans receive a mysterious package an innocent joke or a serious warning? When they end up unwilling parpicipants of a deadly game, how will Robin save his friends? You win your life or lose it, and play by one rule, whatever you do, do not scream.R
1. A mysterious gift?

**Disclaimer**: I do not own the Teen Titans.

Raven hovered across the hallway, pausing to check out the commotion in the living room. The other four titans were crowding around a package on the table. Beast Boy, was as usual, the most excited.

"Let's open it!" He squealed.

"Ooh! It's so exciting!" added Starfire, with another higher pitched, ear damaging squeal.

Robin sighed. "Not until Cyborg finishes the bomb check. You won't be so excited splattered on the carpet."

Raven floated over. "Who's it from?"

"Anonymous, which makes it more suspicious." answered Robin.

"Done, boss man. Its clean." piped Cyborg. Of course, that would be an exaggeration, as it was more of a bellow.

Robin's eyes flashed excitedly for a moment, the barest hint of a smile playing on the ends of his lips. "Then let's opened it."

Beast Boy whooped and Starfire clapped her hands happily. Raven rolled her eyes and sighed. And they asked her why she was gothic.

Robin opened the package, reaching in. The others, exclusive of Raven, held their breaths expectantly. Robin pulled the item out. He took in a sharp breath. "Whoa, it's a…"

Cut! Ok, I know it's evil of me. Flame me, yeah, but I need to know two things. Do you guys like horror? And I hope you don't mind me writing this fic based on the movie (Dead Silence). For people who don't know it, it's freaking scary.


	2. A strange warning

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Mary Shaw or any part of the movie 'Dead Silence'.

_Robin opened the package, reaching in. The others, exclusive of Raven, held their breaths expectantly. Robin pulled the item out. He took in a sharp breath. "Whoa, it's a…"_

"…doll." He finished.

Beast Boy blinked. "You mean it's not a Super Martian Spores Invasion game?"

"It's a doll, Beast Boy."

Starfire held the doll. "Friend Robin, this doll doesn't look too… cute, does it?"

Raven sighed. 'No, Starfire. If you ask me, it appears downright evil."

Beast Boy snatched it. "Ain't too cuddly, either."

"Of course not, it's made of wood." Replied Robin in a 'duh' tone.

"But why would anyone send us an evil doll made of wood?"

Raven took it, turning it over. She gasped slightly. "Someone who would want to intimidate us."

Robin walked over. "What's that?' he asked, staring at a message painted onto the doll's wooden back.

His eyes narrowed. "Don't worry guys; it's just a stupid joke."

"Read it out, Robin."

"_Her name was Mary Shaw. _

_She had no children, only dolls._

_When you see her,_

_ Do not scream. _

_Or she'll rip your tongue out, _

_At the scene._"

Starfire gasped, and Beast Boy perked up in interest. "Cool, dude. I love horror."

"It says she visiting us tonight." Added Raven grimly.

"Rubbish." Replied Robin.

"Who is Mary Shaw, anyway?" asked Cyborg, half out of boredom and half out of curiosity.

"She was a ventriloquist who lost her voice. They said she made her dummies out of human corpses. Sometimes she makes it out of living humans." Then she glanced to Beast Boy. "Maybe she makes animal dummies too, you know."

Beast Boy couldn't hide an apprehensive shiver. "Heh, funny one, Rae."

"Thank you. Anyway, one day this boy went missing, and everyone suspected Mary Shaw. So they took her away, made her scream and ripped out her tongue."

Robin eyes widened fractionally. "And then?"

"And then she died, and was buried with her hundred odd dummies. But she and her dummies began haunting people, making them scream then ripping out their tongues."

Robin chuckled. "Thanks, Rae. But I outgrew fairy tales when I was seven."

Raven smiled mysteriously. "Just thought you guys ought to know."

Starfire grabbed Robin's arm. "It's not real, is it?"

"Of course not. But I would like nothing better than to undergo a paranormal experience."

Raven shot him a hard, steady stare. "Then perhaps you will."

Beast boy laughed nervously. "Heh, it's just dolls, right?"

Robin opened his mouth to make a comeback, but the siren cut him off. "Trouble." he said, running out of the door, the other titans hot on his heels.


	3. Another gift

Robin arrived to find a mechanical dinosaur chomping on an unfortunate streetlamp. He sighed. _Some people just can't let it go_, he thought as the familiar sound of Johnny Rancid's maniacal laughter pierced the air.

"Yes, yes! Run for your lives! Haha!"

Robin didn't even bother for a macho opening speech, only a simple. 'This one's mine." He flipped out his bo-staff and swung it at the mechanical dinosaur's head, sending the monstrosity skidding backwards and throwing its rider ungracefully onto the dirt road, cursing and swearing.

The mechanical dinosaur reared up, growling in anger. It turned to spot a little girl standing at a road curb, and immediately turned its attention to its prospective meal. But Robin grabbed the girl and jumped aside from the massive jaws coming at them, saving the girl just before she became chunks of meat.

Johnny Rancid jumped at his bitter foe, eyes blazing with revenge. But Robin nimbly stepped aside, allowing the disgraced criminal to crash into the pavement with a face full of dirt.

Robin swirled to face the dinosaur, only to see it obliterated by a blue laser shot.

Cyborg smiled sheepishly, hand still erect and smoking from the blast. Robin scowled. 'I thought I said he was MINE."

"Hehehe, but we gotta rush. Better catch the pizza while it's still hot."

Robin's mood lightened upon hearing the word 'pizza'. "All right, have it your way. I'm starving."

Suddenly, Robin felt a tugging on his cape. He saw the little girl, eyes shining and lips curved into an angelic smile. "Thank you for saving me, Mister."

Robin softened slightly. Throughout all his crime fighting years, most of the people he saved fled from the scene without bothering with a "Thank you. Or even a "Bye sir gotta run."

"No problem, kiddo. Just doing my job." He replied, returning the smile.

Suddenly, a flash of worry crossed the girl's features, and then the next second it was gone. "Mister, I would like you to have this."

Robin opened his mouth to decline, but he froze when he saw what the girl was holding out. It was a chain with an amulet in the shape of a phoenix, made of the most shining silver he ever saw. In the middle was a bright red ruby, which seemed to burn like a fire in the sunlight.

The girl grabbed his hand and placed the necklace into his palm. "It's a luck charm. Maybe it would come in handy."

Robin took the necklace. Of course he didn't believe in luck, but the necklace was too dazzling for him to resist. "Thanks… for the luck charm."

"Welcome. Just wish a wish, and who knows?" the girl said, then walked away without turning back.

Starfire floated over. She gasped when she saw the necklace. "Friend Robin! That is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen!"

Robin smiled. "Yeah, it certainly catches the eye."

"Whoa dude! That must cost a bomb!" Beast Boy exclaimed.

Raven glanced at it. "Interesting thing. But no use starving ourselves. Are we still up for pizza?"

Cyborg licked his lips. "Oh yeah, baby. Pepperoni heaven!"

Beast Boy sighed. "Here we go."

* * *

After two hour or so, most of which spent debating on which pizza to order, the titans teleported (Courtesy of Raven) back to the tower. Cyborg switched on the lights. "You guys up for a late night movie?"

Robin shook his head. "Training is at six tomorrow, Cyborg. Not all of us run on batteries."

Starfire tugged at his sleeve. "Friend Robin, it is that horrible doll again."

Robin glanced onto the table where they had left their mysterious gift. The doll was sitting there, looking as spooky as ever, and its eyes seemed to fix onto them.

Robin sighed. "Don't worry, it's just a doll. I'll dispose of it tomorrow morning, alright?"

Beast Boy frowned. "You know what; I REALLY don't like that thing."

Robin grabbed a tablecloth and covered it. "There. Now we don't have to look at it."

Cyborg yawned. "We should really turn in now. Night, guys."

The titans went back into their rooms. Raven paused for a moment, staring at the cloth-covered doll. Even then it seemed to have an air of evil around it. She smacked her head. "There you go, letting your imagination run wild."

Then she went into her room without looking back and closed the door behind her. It was probably better that she did not look back, or she would be the first to lose the game.

She would scream.


	4. Surprize for Boy Wonder

**WARNING**: Evil cliffhanger

Robin jerked awake in the middle of the night, sweating over his uniform. Yeah, he wore his uniform to sleep in case of emergencies, but without the belt.

Robin was almost glad to be awake. He just had a nightmare about human dummies coming after him. And Raven was standing at a corner, mouthing the words "I told you so." Then she transformed into Mary Shaw and was just about to rip out his tongue when he woke up. So much for listening to Raven's ghost stories.

Robin glanced about, satisfied that he was still safely in his room with security lasers and eye scanners guarding him twenty four seven. Just then, he caught sight of a cloth covered object at the corner of his room. His heart skipped a beat. He knew what that was, but how did it get here?

Robin froze with fear, mind trying to come up with logical reasons for why that evil doll ended up in his room. Maybe Beast Boy brought it in as a practical joke, or Raven was getting her back at him for not believing her story. But they could not have gotten in without him realizing. _Maybe the doll crawled in_, he thought. _Impossible_. But the dream… coincidence? Unlikely.

There was one way to find out. Lift up the cloth and check the doll. But of course, if the doll was 'alive', then Robin would be a sure goner. Either get killed by the doll or die of a heart seizure, both of which confirmed a very nasty end. _Maybe I could make a run for the door_, he thought. _And if the doll starts running after me… oh my._

But Robin was far too curious by nature. And he NEVER ran away, which was probably stupid at that time. But his mind insisted that the doll was just a sick joke from one of the other titans. Then again, it may not even be the doll underneath. Although it really looked like it was.

Robin reached out, fingers gingerly clipping onto the edge of the cloth. Then he began pulling it off, slowly staring at the figure beneath. It was too dark to make it out, and somehow he didn't want to remove the cloth completely. Instead, he reached out for his flashlight, shining it on the figure…

CUT! Okay, really evil. Read the warning. But these few chappies are about what happened to each titan seperately, so the fun comes later. R&R!


	5. Raven in Danger

Raven glanced briefly at the clock, finally realizing what time of the night it was. She had been too caught up reading DarkMickey's stories (Just kidding!) that she did not even notice the time. Sighing, she replaced the book and went for a shower.

Ever since the strange package came, Raven had this odd feeling of being watched. Maybe it was just her paranoia, but it felt as if a pair if eyes were fixed on her every move. And it was becoming more and more uncomfortable by the second. Meaning like, imagine if someone was watching you shower. Totally sick.

Raven turned on the tap, filling the bathtub with warm water. _No one is watching me_, she thought. _Damn the doll_. Then she undressed and slipped in, allowing the warm water to soothe her frazzled nerves.

Suddenly, she heard a clang. Raven jumped up, splashing water all over. She glanced around fearfully. Then she saw the fallen comb and sighed. But her bath was ruined anyway, so she dried herself and dressed up.

All of a sudden, the entire bathroom went black. Raven nearly screamed, but them she remembered that power trips were often, seeing that the tower was so huge. She grabbed her communicator. It had built in torch lights, not very bright but better than nothing.

She flicked it on, reaching for the door. Suddenly, her leg brushed over an object. It felt like a tiny human. Or a doll. Raven froze. There was something behind her. The aura of evil was so thick it could almost be felt. She turned, only to face…


	6. A Beastly shock

Beast Boy found himself tugging his blanket. He jumped up. "Raven? Where are you?" He looked around. He was alone, of course, and just had a wet dream. He dreamt that Raven was trying to seduce him (which she never will, of course) and he was falling to her charms. All of a sudden, Raven got dragged away screaming horribly and yelling for help. He wasn't thinking much of the 'seducing' part, but more worried about how real the 'dragging and screaming' part seemed.

Beast Boy fumbled with his tangled up blankets for a while then sprang to his feet. He should really consider spring cleaning. He had meant to do that long ago, but never went about putting it into action.

Beast Boy roughly kicked his odd trinkets into the cupboard. He won't want to land on them if he rolled off again. Then he saw a photograph strayed on the ground. He picked it up, examining the picture. It was his picture, only that the face was replaced by a big hole.

Beast Boy gasped. Who did this? He turned to the back of the photograph, and there was a message written on it:

**Don't turn around**

**Don't scream**

He was suddenly aware of a presence behind him. Ignoring the warning, Beast Boy turned, his usually robust emerald complexion turning into a pasty lime colour…

* * *

Ooh! Scary, what did he see? Okay, you guys aren't too pleased with the series of totally evil cliffies. Patience, two more titans to go! R&R 


	7. Cyborg down for the count

Cyborg never approved of keeping late nights, but that didn't stop him from doing so. Especially when his 'baby' required his attention, after some idiot tried committing grand theft auto while they were enjoying pizza. Of course he didn't succeed without setting off enough alarms to blast his head off. Cyborg refused to start it up after that (he claimed the car was 'traumatized'), which was why Raven had to teleport them.

Anyway Cyborg wasn't assured, so he stayed up to remodel his 'baby's security systems, which included a plasma chair, that would leave a thief no butt left to sit on. If he was lucky.

Apart from a new security system, Cyborg decided to give it a new paint job. It was slightly scratched (slightly as in microscopic) and that was intolerable to the metal man. Before that, some shuteye was in demand. Cyborg won't risk sleeping in his room. No, he couldn't leave his 'baby' alone. So he opened the door and started snoring inside. No one could possibly steal it that way.

After a few minutes, he jolted awake. The car was moving, or actually vibrating. Someone was doing something to his precious car. Cyborg flew out, expecting to be wringing Beast Boy's scrawny neck soon, but found that there was no one at all. But there were scratches on the car. Cyborg muttered a minute's worth of unprintable obscenities, before examining the damage.

It was them he realized that the scratches weren't just scratches. They were words. Stepping back, Cyborg glanced at the marks. It went something like: **I m hre**.

Bad spelling, but the message was clear. "I am here?" muttered Cyborg. "Who is here?"

Just then, the buckets of paint spilled over. Cyborg swore. "What the hell is goin on? Who scratched ma baby?!"

The paint continued flowing. Cyborg looked closer. It was forming yet another word. "Trn… Turn?"

Cyborg whirled around, eyes wide with shock and horror…

* * *

Okay, I bet you guys are horrified too. Another cliffy. One more titan to go, just ONE. I'm expecting flames this time... Oh, well. Can't please everyone. 


	8. Star in trouble

Starfire was still snoring when the crash came. The alien princess jolted up with a shrill shriek. She glanced around fearfully, and then turned to the door. Usually the other titans would come running to her aid whenever she needed help or comfort. Especially the boys, who would fight to reach her first.

But no one came. Starfire opened her door softly, wondering why no one bothered coming. Were they ignoring her? The innocent Starfire could not imagine what she had done to upset them.

The she noticed a shadow cross the hallway. "Robin?" she called. "Cyborg?"

There was no reply. Starfire stepped forward, and the shadow vanished across the bend. "Friend Raven, is that you? Please, I am very frightened."

Raven usually ignored her childish ways, but then she would come instantly if Starfire was scared or unhappy. But there was still no response. "Who are you?" Starfire asked, voice trembling.

Suddenly, she remembered the doll, and Raven's story. She gasped. Could it be?

Starfire walked forward slowly, fearfully looking over the bend. She saw a figure hunched over in the middle of the walkway. It was small in stature, like a little child. Starfire lit a star bolt. "Whoever you are, are you hurt so?"

The figure began to turn…

* * *

Okay, second story today. I'm really working hard, so pardon the cliffies! Next chapter you guys will know what happened. A nice, condensed chapter, though probaly with another cliffy. Hahaha! R&R


	9. The Game is on

Robin snapped up, finding himself sweating on his bed. _It's a dream_, he thought. _Man, I'm glad it is_. He stretched for a moment, and then decided to get a drink.

Robin glanced to the corner, satisfied that there was no doll there. Then he opened his room door, and nearly plummeted to his death. There was no floor. In fact, there was nothing. His room was suspended in the middle of nowhere, and literally nowhere.

He clutched on to the doorframe, head dizzy and stomach churning. What was going on? Robin stumbled onto his bed in a daze. He shut his eyes, trying to convince himself this was an illusion. _It's okay_, he thought. _It's just an illusion. Go out and everything will be fine._ Then he opened his door again, and stepped out.

At first he felt like he was falling. A scream tore from his throat, and he grabbed on to the necklace he was wearing. The necklace the strange girl had given him. _I wish I was somewhere. Anywhere! _He wished with all his might. Suddenly, his feet touched something hard.

Robin's eyes fluttered open. He was stranded on a single mound of land barely enough for him to sit on, surrounded by lava. He grabbed the necklace again. _Somewhere else!_

Immediately, the lava vanished and he was in a strange, cobweb filled room. Robin signed with relief. Safety…?

Robin dusted himself and examined his surroundings. It was an old mansion, probably deserted for ages now. Layers of dust covered the once grand furniture, and pictures were yellowed with age.

Robin glanced at the pictures. Then, his eyes widened in horror. He was in more danger than ever before…

* * *

Raven found herself choking and gasping for air. At first, she could not understand what had happened. Suddenly, salt water gushed into her mouth. Sputtering, she found herself floating hopelessly in the middle of a vast ocean. 

Raven was confused, and needless to say, drowning. She was never much of a swimmer, and her job description didn't add 'learning how to survive when you're drowning at sea.'

Suddenly, a log floated by. Weird, as land was nowhere in sight. But Raven didn't care. She grabbed on tightly as if it were her life. Which in a sense, it was. Raven gasped, her chest ballooning as she greedily gulped in air. After coughing out the water she had swallowed, Raven began to think. How did she get here?

Before anything came to her mind, a whirlpool appeared out of nowhere. And lucky her (not), she was being sucked right into it. _Great,_ she would have muttered, had there been a cubic centimeter of air left in her lungs. She closed her eyes as the whirlpool spun her round and round, straight into the dark, howling center.

Suddenly, Raven found herself being knocked violently against something. She would have looked, but the water was all over her…

* * *

Robin scrutinized the picture. It was of a woman holding up a ventriloquist dummy. And it looked like the doll that had been sent to them. It could have been a clever fake, but what were the chances?

It all fit. The doll must have brought him here somehow. _And now it's gonna do some tongue ripping_, he mentally added. Robin decided not to take any chances. Whatever happens, he was NOT going to scream. Or perhaps he already screamed, but maybe that wouldn't count.

Suddenly, he heard a knocking from inside the cupboard, Robin froze. The knocking grew louder and more urgent. Although he knew he really shouldn't get curious at a time like this, but old habits die hard. Robin stepped towards the cupboard, and slowly pulled the door open…

* * *

The horror! Another cliffy. Okay, at least we are progressing...heheh. So please don't shoot me yet. And by the way, some people are going to die... HAHAHA! Okay, not telling you who. R&R!

P.S. Tell me who I should kill... Robin/ Raven/ Starfire/ Beast Boy/ Cyborg/ Myself...?

P.P.S. If I die you guys won't know what happened... so don't vote for that.


	10. Meet the Mastermind?

The door creaked opened on the rusty hinges, and to Robin's shock and horror, he saw…Raven. She fell into his arms, desperately gasping for breath.

"Rae! What happened? What are you doing here?"

"I… don't know. I was drowning…"

"Drowning? In the cupboard?"

"No! I was drowning in the ocean, and somehow I got here in a whirlpool!"

"But Raven… you're completely dry!"

Raven stared at herself. "But… how?"

"I don't know, but it definitely has something to do with that doll."

"I knew there was something funny about that doll," remarked Raven as she stared at the picture.

Robin sighed and paced the room, trying to sort his thoughts out. Why were they brought here? And how were the others now? Just then, Robin heard someone coming up from behind him.

"Raven, I would appreciate if you avoid sneaking up on me. I'm spooked as it is."

"What? I'm still sitting here."

Robin froze. If Raven was sitting there, then…

"Raven?"

There was no response this time. Robin turned around. Raven was gone, and in her place, sat the doll.

Robin gasped, face going white. "What the…"

Suddenly, the doll turned. "Hello, Robin."

Robin opened his mouth, heart beating faster than a Maglev train…

* * *

Oh no! Will he SCREAM?! Ahhh! Find out in next chappy... Btw the doll spooks me too... Even though I invented it. HAHA!


	11. Rules of the Game

Robin wanted to scream. Every fiber of his body tingled with horror. But he didn't. Something stopped him. He felt like he was choking, as if a powerful hand had strangled the scream from his throat. The doll seemed annoyed.

"Well it takes pretty much to frighten you, eh?'

Robin struggled to his feet. He was afraid, but he was angry too. "What have you done with them? I'm not in the mood for games!"

"On the contrary. You yourself said you wanted to. _I would like nothing better than to undergo a supernatural encounter_. The exact words, Robin. You said so yourself."

Robin didn't know what to say. What would anyone have to say to an evil doll? And even though he didn't like to admit it, the doll had all the cards. All he had was a weird necklace.

"What must I do to save my friends?"

The doll smiled. Or at least Robin thought he smiled, because it's quite hard to see as the doll is made of wood.

"You can play for their lives. If you win, you get back one of them. If you lose, then you and your friend will die."

"What game?"

"You will know when you play, Robin."

Robin stared at him, wishing that he could throw him into the fire and watch him burn.

"I will play for Starfire."

The doll laughed. It looked pretty gross, as the doll looked like it would fall to pieces anytime. "A real sport indeed. But unfortunately you cannot do that."

Robin narrowed his eyes into slits. "And why not?'

"Because she screamed." The doll hissed. "So I ripped her tongue out."

"What?!" he cried.

"Watch your temper. Too loud and it's considered a scream."

"Why did you kill her?!"

"She screamed the loudest. Terrible voice anyway. So who would you play for now?"

Robin glared at the doll murderously. "I will play for Raven."

"Excellent. Who would you play against?"

"What do you mean, you dumb dummy." Robin growled.

'Insulting. You can play against me and my puppet friends, or Mary Shaw."

Robin took a second to decide. 'I will play against you and your puppets."

"Good choice. Not. Don't worry, it will be easy. Just don't scream."

Then everything vanished.


	12. Round one

Robin blinked for a moment, and found himself in a dark room. He was still contemplating the loss of a fellow titan (by the way Robin and Starfire are JUST FRIENDS) and the possible deaths of the others. One slip up was all it took, or more precisely one scream. Not very hard, considering his current circumstances.

But now the question was: where on earth was he? That question had occurred quite often throughout the past few hours. Then again, he might even be in some evil doll dimension, or even somewhere in hell.

Robin stood up slowly, eyes trying to adjust to the light. This wasn't much use, because there was no light in the first place. But he could see some figures moving in the dark. Rather small figures, like children probably. Or maybe dolls.

If anyone watched a horror movie before, they would know that suspense is the scariest thing of all. Robin tried figure out what was happening. If the figures were indeed the dolls, why were they just moving around, and not attacking him? Whatever it was, Robin didn't like it.

Suddenly, Robin noticed a mirror. It was just there, looking as innocent as anything. Just a plain mirror, with a carved wooden frame. Robin walked up to the mirror. He didn't know why he did that, but some strange force seemed to urge him, compelling him to inspect the strange mirror.

Robin stared into it. He saw his reflection, somewhat unclear in the darkness. It was almost a relief, as he had expected worse. Suddenly, the image began to change. To his horror, Robin saw himself, this time with a deathly pale face, distorted and half rotted away, **with his** **tongue hanging out of his mouth by a single strand of bloody flesh. **

Seeing a corpse is one thing, seeing yourself as a corpse is a whole lot worse. Robin's mind began to swirl. He felt sick, legs beginning to give way. He clutched on to the necklace. _Please_, he thought, _help me out of this. Help me save my friends._

Suddenly, he felt something brush past his leg. Robin looked down, and saw a puppet. The puppet had a bloody face and horrible eyes. Robin felt like screaming but somehow nothing came out of his mouth. It was then Robin realised that he had no mouth. Where his mouth was, all that remained was a patch of skin.

Suddenly, all the puppets jumped on him. They looked horrible. If Robin had a mouth he would have screamed to the high heavens. Some of the puppets had faces of rotting corpses on them. He remembered what Raven said, something about them being made out of human bodies. Disgusting.

A soft light shone form a corner of the room. It was a door, wherever that led to. But anywhere was better than there. Trying not to look at the savage puppets, he threw a few of them off, running towards the door.

Robin flung the door open, throwing himself over to the other side. Then he slammed the door shut, hearing the scraping sounds from the other side. His hand flew to his mouth. Yes, it was there again, complete with his tongue.

All of a sudden, Robin felt a creepy presence behind him…

* * *

Okay, cliffy. Again. This chapter is kinda gross... so be warned. The next chapters will be gross too. Oh yeah, I killed off Starfire because I was lazy to write about her... HAHAHA. R&R


	13. Two Player Game

Robin turned around slowly, afraid of what he was going to face. Suddenly, a hand grabbed his shoulder, and he jerked up instantly, only to face… Raven. Her face was deathly pale. "Ro…Robin?" she stammered.

Robin heaved a sigh of relief. "Oh my god, Rae. I'm so glad you're alright."

Raven collapsed onto the floor. "Robin… I saw Starfire."

Robin grabbed her by her shoulders. 'Where is she? Is she alright?" Those words spilled out before he could stop it. In truth, Robin already knew what happened.

Raven sighed. "I'm sorry, Robin. She was dead… it was horrible."

"How?"

"She… had her tongue ripped out. It was beside her… I think. There was so much blood. Then this puppet came, and it… it…"

"It did what?" Robin demanded, feeling the anger well up inside him.

"It tore open her abdomen and ripped her intestines out. Then he ATE it in front of me…" Raven said weakly, voice trailing off in a whisper.

Robin felt sick. "My god, this is madness."

"On the contrary, Robin. This is fun." said a chilling voice.

Robin turned, Raven hardly daring to look. The doll stood not far from them, covered in fresh blood.

"You know what, Robin. I was almost glad you made it. Congratulations."

Raven turned away. 'You're sick."

The doll laughed brutally. "Upset? You have a reason to be. Now, Robin, are you ready for the next round?"

Robin glared at him. "How would I know what you are capable of? I've won, so let the others go."

"Oh no, Robin. You get me wrong. It's one friend per game. So you have two more rounds to play. Unless, you wish to quit. Then I can set you and your bonny lass free." Then he paused. "And add the other two to my personal collection."

Robin growled. "No. I'll play on. But what about Raven?"

"Well, you can play team matches. Bound to be more exciting." Replied the doll in an evil tone.

"Don't even think…" Robin snarled.

Raven stopped him. "I'll play."

"Really? Very well. Let round two begin." Hissed the doll.

* * *

Alright... I know this chapter is kinda boring and a little gruesome. But a nice change from all that horror, right? Heheh. R&R!


	14. Two Endangered Birds

Robin found himself in yet another strange, menacing room. It had light, which was probably good. Raven was just as surprised. "So… what do we do?'

"I don't know. But we better not scream." Robin replied grimly.

"Point taken. But… why are we playing along?"

"Wow, Rae. You almost sound as if we had a choice."

"Do think the doll will keep its promise?"

Robin ignored that. As far as he was concerned, a truthful answer would only further decrease their morale. He looked around. It was empty, expect for a sofa and a mirror. He didn't plan to look into the mirror anymore. Once bitten, twice shy.

"This game is stupid. What the hell are we supposed to do?" he cursed.

As if answering his question, Robin heard a soft cry from behind a door. He glanced at Raven. She nodded. "Guys first." She muttered.

Robin stepped forward, hand touching the doorknob. It felt cold. He turned it slowly, almost reluctantly. The door creaked open. In the centre of the room, was a boy seated on a chair, his back facing them and his hands tied down. He was crying softly for help.

But Robin knew better. He cautioned for Raven to follow behind him. A boy it may be, but then again the likeliness of this being another of the doll's tricks was very high.

"Hey, little boy. What's your name?" Robin asked.

The boy made no reply, and continued crying. Robin was even more skeptical. "What are you doing here?"

The boy cried even louder. Raven sighed. "This is getting us nowhere. Are you sure this is a trick?"

The two birds walked around to the other side, still keeping a careful distance from the boy.

That was when they saw his face. Or more precisely, saw his facelessness. The boy had no face, just a grinning skull with one eye drooping out and rotten skin clinging to the bone. Raven almost screamed, but Robin clapped his hand around her mouth, throwing her a warning glance.

Raven nodded pathetically. The past few moments had been very disappointing. She expected herself to be emotionally stronger than Robin and better at facing such horror, but he ended up having to save her a few times.

Robin gazed at the skull intensely. The jaw was moving slightly. It was probably a draught. And the voice sounded like it was recorded too. The boy was dead, and this was yet another trick of the doll's.

That was when the skull moved. The single eye stared straight at them, and the skeleton sat up. Robin jumped, and Raven felt like throwing up. Neither screamed. They were probably too scared to do anything.

Suddenly, the figure stood up straight. The single eye stared at the two. The jaw moved slowly, mouthing unspoken words. But the message was clears enough. Something was up, but the problem was the birds had no idea what.

All of a sudden, Robin felt a nudge. He turned to Raven, who motioned for him to look down. It was then he realised water seeping in slowly from nowhere in particular.

"Damn! We gotta find a way out. NOW."

Robin sloshed trough the now ankle deep water and reached for the doorknob. Before Raven could stop him, he opened the door. Instantly, a wave of water covered them both, and within seconds flooded almost the entire room.

Robin burst through the surface, greedily gulping in precious air. It won't be long before the entire room would be submerged, and they would both drown. But he wasn't giving in without a fight. Then, he realised Raven wasn't there. He left her behind.

Without a moment's hesitation, he dove in, mask keeping out the water. He saw a blue cape, and grabbed it. Sputtering, he surfaced with a half-drowned Raven.

"Raven. Speak to me, Raven!"

Raven opened her eyes partially. "Robin…" she gasped. "Trapdoor…. down."

Robin took in another breath and dived in again. His fingers latched briefly onto a handle. He pulled, and felt the rusty door moving slightly. He resurfaced for a breath, and dived in, pulling with all his might. The door burst from the hinges, sucking in the water like a vacuum cleaner.

Then he collapsed on the wet ground, panting. Raven was unconscious beside him. Or at least, he hoped she was unconscious. It could be worse.

All of a sudden, Robin felt someone coming up from behind. Someone _small_…

* * *

Phew! The longest chapter thus far. Advice taken, I've cut down on the grusomeness. Or did I? heheh.

Riddle: who's that behind Robin? Ans: A cliffy!

R&R!


	15. Meet the Master

Robin sighed. "What do you want now, you bloody wood head?"

There was no response. That was strange; usually the doll would have some kind of sick comeback. Robin looked behind, and saw… the girl. The girl who had given him the necklace. She looked worried, and kept pointing to a spot on the wall.

Robin looked at where she was pointing, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. If anything here was ordinary in the first place. But when he turned back to the girl, she was gone. Vanished into thin air.

"Alright… weird." Robin muttered. It was probably his mind cracking under the strain. Maybe he would end up in an asylum when this was over. If this ever gets over.

Raven stirred slightly. 'Where… where am I?"

"In the stupid game, duh."

"So did we win?"

"I don't know. And I don't want to know if we didn't."

Robin walked up to the spot the girl pointed to. He passed his hand over it. It felt hollow. "Raven, I think I have something here."

Raven walked over, tapping the surface. "Yeah… there's something in there for sure."

Beckoning for Robin to stand back, Raven used her telekinetic powers and peeled off the entire wall. It revealed a little compartment with a wooden door. Robin pulled it open. There was something inside. It looked like a case in a human shape. A coffin, with the words **MARY SHAW**. The coffin began to move, and the lid began to open slightly…

* * *

OMG! The shortest chappy of all, and the most EVIL cliffy! Hahaha! Sorry, I'm a little high today. Nothing to do with drugs. Anyway review... expecting lots of comments on the cliffy... hahaha. R&R!


	16. Mary Shaw

The coffin opened slowly. Robin's heart was in his mouth. Whose side was the girl on anyway? But Raven acted faster. She slammed the lid shut and tried to stop whatever was inside from opening it. Robin hastened to help her.

A half rotten hand reached out from between a gap. It grabbed Robin on the arm. Robin's eyes widened, but Raven slapped him quickly. Robin remembered- he couldn't scream. Robin tried to shake it off, but its grip was like metal.

"Get off me!" he yelled. Then he rammed his body against the lid, slamming it violently back into place. The hand dropped off onto the ground, and the banging stopped.

Raven breathed a sigh of relief. Then, the hand began to move. It latched itself onto her leg. Raven covered her mouth with her hand. Robin ran over and tried to peel the hand off her, but the hand jumped off and opened the coffin lid. The two birds watched on with horror as a figure stepped out of the shadows.

They didn't need to guess who it was. The corpse was rotted away in some parts, and white straggly hair covered her head. Her eyes were only whites, and she had no _tongue_.

'Raven…" Robin began.

"Run!" Raven finished, grabbing his arm.

There was no where to run but through the trapdoor. It was flooded, but that was better than having your tongue ripped out. Robin threw the door open, and grabbed Raven, diving into the swirling darkness below.

They were safe, if being in the middle of a sea of water was safe. At any rate, they got rid of Mary Shaw. Just then Robin heard a soft plop. Something, or someone, had fallen into the water from behind them. Raven turned to him. "Swim!"

Robin didn't need to be told twice. He swam as fast as he could. Something grabbed his foot, and began pulling them both underwater. He vaguely saw a face- the horrible face of Mary Shaw. Robin grabbed his necklace, hoping that it would work. Which was unlikely. _Get us out of the water_!

Immediately, the two birds were thrown forcefully out of the water in a violent jet, which sent them bursting ungracefully through the floorboards above. Robin knew it was going to give him a headache for days at the very least, but that was not his main concern.

"Well done Robin, well done." came a voice. "You have actually started to prove yourself a worthy adversary."

Robin looked face to face with the doll. "Bloody hell with you." He gasped.

"Well, it seems to me that you are cheating, which was why you got so far."

"Cheating? Tell you what, there's only one cheater among us, and it isn't me or Raven."

"Well, my game doesn't allow the use of any objects, but it does seem as though you do have some extra help." The doll replied, staring down at the necklace.

Raven glared at the doll. "In the first place, we don't want to play your game. And secondly, you have plenty of tricks up your sleeve too."

"Why not we just proceed to the next round?" the doll replied calmly. 'Without the silly trinket of yours." In one quick movement, the doll snatched away the necklace.

Before Robin could react, he was thrown into darkness. He could hear the doll's mocking laughter in his ears. "Good luck." Hissed the doll. "Because even that wouldn't save you now."

* * *

Eep! The last round! Now that the doll holds all the cards, how is Robin going to win? Heheh, Maybe I should keep you all waiting for awhile... (my evil streak again) R&R!


	17. Puppet Show

He never felt more alone in his life. Robin realised that Raven was gone again, and he was stranded in a strange abandoned theatre littered with broken glass and chandeliers. He could guess that this place was once a wonderful place, but not so much for the present.

Dusting himself off, Robin edged closer to a large (and only) poster. With what little light there was, he managed to make out the words.

"The… Amazing… Mary Shaw (a gulp somewhere here)… and Billy…"

Suddenly, the whole place lit up. Robin fell back in shock. He knocked into someone behind him. Immediately, he jumped up into battle stance, facing a chubby man in a colourful costume. On his face was a mask all too fanciful for a villain.

"Take it easy, young man…" said the oddly dressed stranger, before mingling back into the crowd.

The crowd. Within split seconds the place was filled with people. Women with colourful feathers and elegant dresses and masks, men in odd costumes like the chubby man, and children in clownish attire. It was a masquerade. The place was not torn down; it was bright and grand, with statues, mosaics and lighted chandeliers high above.

Suddenly, a man in a tuxedo tapped his shoulder. Robin whirled around quickly. The man seemed mildly surprised by this funny spiky haired person's (Robin) sudden and swift reaction.

"Have a seat, young sir," he said in a funny olden accent, "The performance is about to begin."

"I…" Robin began to protest, but the man drew out a chair and sat him hard but not roughly into it.

"Fret not, young sir. I am sure your parents will not leave without you." He remarked in an assuring voice, before moving on to another person briskly.

Usually Robin would have had much to say about this 'babyish' treatment, such as a discreet kick and killer glare, but right now he was too confused to do anything. Soon, everyone else had settled in comfortably. The curtains opened slowly.

"Greetings ladies and gentlemen," began the emcee, "Today we are very pleased to have this amazing talented lady and her 'child' perform for us this night. Verily, this is a rare opportunity indeed. Now, I present to you, the Amazing Mary Shaw and Billy!"

All around him there was thunderous applause as an elegant old lady stepped out from behind the curtain. Robin's throat went dry, and his stomach churned. He knew that lady anywhere. Mary Shaw. The one who tried to kill them.

"Now," she began in a rich accent. "Where did my Billy go?"

"I'm here, Mother," came a voice from within the crowd.

The crowd laughed and looked all around, trying to determine the location of this Billy. Robin too couldn't help but glance around the room.

"I can't see you, Billy dear."

'I'm under here, Mother," said the voice, louder this time.

Robin realised that the voice was coming from right under him. The crowd had obviously noticed the same. Trembling slightly, Robin checked under his seat. To his horror, he saw Billy. Billy was the killer doll.

With a shout, Robin tumbled backwards, causing the crowd to roar with laughter.

"Now, now, Billy. Why give this dear young man a nasty scare?"

Mary Shaw turned to Robin, her gaze hard and steady. She flashed him the kind of smile a tiger would to his prey. "Now will you please bring Billy to me?"

Robin hesitated. Mary Shaw's smile shrank. "Don't worry, young fellow. Good Billy won't bite."

_Why sure he won't, just rips out people's tongue, no big deal_, Robin thought to himself. _Still I better play along… who knows what will happen what if I don't_. Picking up Billy, Robin slowly approached Mary Shaw. She didn't look so scary at the moment. Looks are deceiving.

"Thank you, young man."

Robin staggered back to his seat, in a daze. Where was he? Who were all these weird people? Didn't they know Mary Shaw was a killer? Then again, they probably didn't. After all they were watching her performance. And they were enjoying it.

All of a sudden, a little boy jumped up. "Hey! I saw her lips moving!" He cried, pointing an accusing finger at Mary Shaw.

Everyone in the crowd turned slowly to the boy. "It's true!" the boy cried. His mother tried to get him to sit down.

"That's quite enough, Thomas!

Robin looked on, slightly amused. Mary Shaw's faced changed. "Now, who's saying I'm talking for Billy! Oh Billy dear, that boy thinks you're not real."

"No, Mama! I'm as real as you are! You're not talking for me!"

The crowd cheered, but the boy jumped up. "She's a fake! A fake!" he crowed.

His mother looked ready to smack him. "Sit down this second, Thomas Grayson!"

Robin froze. _Grayson_… that was his own surname. So the boy was probably his ancestor… which meant…

Mary Shaw turned to him, an evil smile plastered on her then face. "_Who's the dummy now_…?"

* * *

Alright... I know I havent been updating for super long... due to some technical diffuculties involving my computer and a tennis ball... So yeah this is the first story on my new computer. Heheh... Sorry! R&R, and I better go pack for my trip! (that means another long wait... Sorry!!)


	18. The talking dead

Robin suddenly found himself in a hallway, with narrow walls, fluttering windows and dim lighting which made it look like something out of a horror movie. A very real horror movie. His head throbbed painfully, as if something was knocking his brain. He was aware of a voice calling, as if trying to warn him of something. Then again, he'd been hearing voices a little too often recently. Perhaps the hysteria was catching up with him.

"Robin…"

Robin jumped. He knew that voice. It sounded like Raven, but it wasn't. Raven's voice was different, unique. It had to be…

"Starfire! Starfire! Where are you?"

Suddenly, it struck him that Starfire was supposed to be dead. Could Raven have been seeing things? Or was he hearing things? It was all very confusing to take in at that moment.

"Robin… help… me…"

"Where are you, Starfire? I can't see you." Robin called back. The voice sounded near, yet he couldn't see anyone or anything.

"Robin… I'm in here…"

"In where? You're in a room? Are you trapped? Starfire!"

"I'm in the wall…"

Robin nearly fainted. She was in the wall? How did she get in the wall? And wasn't she supposed to be…

"Robin… help…"

"Hold on, Starfire! I'll get you out."

Robin pounded on the rotting and crumbling wooden walls, and was rewarded with the heavy crunching of wood. Presently there was a huge slab of new wood in a hollow in the wall. It reminded him of a coffin lid, only the wrong shape. Robin tugged at it, trying to peel it off.

The wood creaked, and whatever was holding it in place gave way with a loud pop.

'Starfire! Are you in there?" Robin gasped, panting from his little workout.

There was no response. Robin pulled out a splinter from his palm, and fearing the worst (it's quite easy to suffocate in a wall, duh), he removed the wood completely. And what he saw next probably screwed him for life.

Starfire was inside. But she was as dead as Raven had described. Her tongue was gone, her neck was contorted in a unbelievable angle, making her look like something dug out of a grave and stuck together with tape. Robin backed away. How could this be? Minutes ago she was calling for help. How can a corpse call for help?

Suddenly, Starfire's dead lips began moving. Robin backed away slowly. Starfire was MOVING. Starfire was dead, right?

"Robin, Robin. So what have you learnt from your little trip?"

"You're not Starfire…" Robin muttered, standing rooted to the spot.

"Poor, silly Robin. Starfire is long dead," mocked the voice cruelly, "You killed her."

"I didn't!" Robin protested. "You killed her! You're sick!"

"I won't have killed her if it wasn't for you now, would I?"

"But… why me?"

"You want to know why? Come closer, I'll tell you."

Robin backed away. "No. You come out from behind her, whoever or whatever you are."

"If you want the truth, step forward. Or you can hide in your shell of ignorance forever."

Robin's mind screamed at him to stay away, but his curiosity forced him to go towards the corpse. Soon, he was standing right in front of his former, now very dead team mate.

"Tell me why."

"Because… you are the last Grayson alive."

Then a monstrously twisted and long tongue shot out from Behind Starfire's mouth, and tightened around Robin's neck.

* * *

Oops. I know i haven't been updating for centuries now,but I was too caught up with my CCAs. For those who don't know what's that, never mind. Anyway I'm off for a camp (Again...), but after that I'll be completely free to update, so just hang on in there! 


	19. Blood red

Robin would have screamed, but the tongue grips choked every sound he would have made. Apparently the doll had gotten tired of making him scream, and got on to simply strangling him to death. Robin tried to pull the horrendous tongue off, but as anyone knows a tongue is slippery and slimy, so he could hardly get a hold on it.

Robin continued his unsuccessful struggle, as darkness began to eat away at the corners of his eyes. If he blacked out now, he would probably wake up in a very bright place where Starfire, and probably the others would be. Just then, he saw a flash of blue, and realised that he could breathe.

As he greedily gulped in air, he saw a mountainous figure approach him. His vision cleared soon enough, and Robin saw, much to his relief, that it was none other than Cyborg.

"Robin, dude. Where's Raven?"

"I don't know. She vanished," panted Robin.

"When? Just? Oh my god, what is that?" Cyborg gasped, pointing to the bloody remains in the wall. His sonic blast had blown Starfire's corpse to smithereens.

"It's not Raven."

"Thank god. Had me freaked for a moment."

"It's Starfire."

"What?! What the hell happened here?"

"Don't ask. How did you get here?"

Cyborg slumped down beside him. "No idea. One moment some doll like thingy had me scared out of pants… I mean legs, and the next thing Raven was trying to revive me.'

"Raven? Where is she?"

"I don't know. We were outside, and then she said she would look for you, so she came in here. That was hours ago."

"Hours? What! You let her come in herself, and didn't care for hours? Idiot! She could be in danger!" Robin cried, jumping to his feet. He knew he could not lose anyone else now. He could not lose Raven.

"Hey! She didn't tell me anything! How would I know?"

"You jolly well know now, and yet you sit here talking? If anything happens to her…"

"Fine! We'll look for her now, all right?" Cyborg said, trying to sound angry, but in truth, he felt really guilty and worried. Raven could be in danger, or worse...

* * *

"Robin! Robin are you in here?" Raven called, her voice getting weaker. She found Cyborg outside, but had this feeling Robin could be in greater danger. So she came back in to look for Boy Blunder, and up to now, unsuccessfully.

With a sigh, she flopped down for a rest, desperately thirsty. When was it since she last had a drink? Probably while she was drowning in the ocean. She shuddered at the thought.

Raven began to think of thee chilled glass of green tea she put in the fridge. Would she ever get to taste tea again? The more she tried not to think of it, the more she did.

Suddenly, Raven heard water droplets. The first thought that came to her was: tap. Tap meant water. Then she realised the dripping was close, probably directly above her. Raven stood up slowly, and suddenly, she felt something wet drip on her head. Leaky pipe? She wished.

Raven reached up and wiped away the water. It was then she realised the water was red. Blood red.

And it was blood, of course.

"…"

* * *

Hooray! Back from camp. Whoopee! Actually I was back yesterday but too lazy to update. Haha. Enjoy this chappy, And pretty pretty pwease review. 


	20. Something worth knowing

Raven had always been the cool headed one of the Titans. Robin, with his rashness and over enthusiasm, would have readily led the Titans right into a trap many times over if not for her sound advice. And of course, in a situation where screaming is banned on pain of death, and whoever or whatever's blood is dripping on your head, the smartest thing to do is - run.

Raven was sure she could pass her days without ever finding out what was above her. She broke out into a run. Not bothering to turn back, not even when a prominent thud, was heard. She was painfully aware that something was running behind her. Catching up? Hopefully not.

She couldn't keep up for long. Every turn seemed to bring her back to the same hallway, the same THING that would lurk at every corner waiting for her. Now she knew why Robin spent those hours on the treadmill. If she survived, she'd buy one of those ridiculous gym sets advertised on television. If she survived.

Raven paused for a moment, to catch her breath and try to summon her powers. Flying, if she could, would be faster than running.

"Azarath Metrion Zin… Gahhh!"

Raven stopped short, staring at the horrendous figure before her. There was only one chance. Raven clenched her fists, and shut her eyes.

"Zinthos!"

Raven saw darkness flash in front of her. Was it working? Had her powers returned? No, the darkness was the creature lashing out at her, but not with a hand, and with one clean stroke knocked her half senseless.

* * *

Robin halted for a second as a tingly feeling went up his spine. This place gave him the creeps. Suddenly, he noticed droplets of blood on the floor. A sickening feeling went up in his stomach."Cyborg… what do you think that is?' 

Cyborg bent down and examined the droplets. "If you're asking if it is blood, yes. The question is whose blood."

"Could it be Raven's?"

"Let's try to assume it's not."

But even that was hard.

* * *

Raven struggled to keep conscious. The creature, with blood in its mouth was none other than Mary Shaw herself. It was all getting blurry. Just before she passed out, Raven noticed something, which would be quite worth noting if she wasn't blacking out. A wonder she hadn't seen it before. 

_Mary Shaw was a puppet too_…

* * *

Alright, I know it is a shory chappy. Better than nothing. Anyway, Christmas comes in two weeks! Whoopee! Merry Christmas to all! 


	21. REALLY bad day

The trail of blood seemed to go round in a circle, as if whoever who was bleeding was basically lumbering around aimlessly. Then Robin noticed that the blood trail pooled at a certain area, and was in fact, quite fresh. It didn't take a lot of detective work t know that whatever the blood was dripping from stopped here, for some reason, and then pretty much vanished into thin air.

Cyborg gave a low whistle. This whole thing about living puppets and Mary Shaw was really creeping him out. And having two missing team mates didn't seem encouraging.

"So, great leader. What next?"

"We find Raven. Somehow. Then we pick up Beast Boy and we go home."

"Somehow?"

"Somehow."

* * *

Raven was not sure how long she'd been out, but she did know she felt as thirsty as hell. And hot too. Funny, seeing that the mansion was full of draughts and all that creepy, sudden changes of wind. Come to think of it, the place was pretty bright. Raven could have sworn that the place needed new lightings. So why was it…?

She jumped. The whole place seemed to glow with a hot, orange flame. The whole place was on fire, and she was in the middle of it. Raven glanced around, and for the first time in her life, felt completely and utterly helpless. The fire was all around her, closing in quickly. All of a sudden the word "barbecue" seemed exceptionally deadly.

* * *

Robin began feeling uncomfortable. It was unusually warm, and even Cyborg was beginning to notice something amiss. Strangely, nothing, apart from their aimless wandering, seemed unusual.

Robin paused. "Cyborg, are you hungry?"

"Hardly. And this is no time for cravings, really."

"You sure? I can swear you're stomach's growling."

"Well dude, I tellin' you I ain't hungry." Cyborg snapped, slightly offended.

Robin stopped. "We'll if that's not you, then what is it?"

He got his answer when part of the roof just metres away collapsed, ablaze.

"Jump!" Robin cried, leaping out of the nearest window, closely followed by Cyborg. He landed into the swampy lake, and vaguely heard two more splashes. Two? He could have sworn it was only him and Cyborg. So who was…?

But he had no time to think. While jumping out, Cyborg, who was mere centimetres away from him, accidentally swung his arm in mid-air. The heavy metal limb hit Robin square in the head as he fell, and knocked him out within seconds of landing.

Cyborg sputtered and kicked wildly. Robin seemed to bob along, strangely immobile. He himself wasn't much better off, seeing that metal and water doesn't exactly go. Moreover, his sheer weight was like an anvil, pulling him down into the murky darkness below…

* * *

Another short chappy... well it's my writer's block... heehee. So many evil cliffies in one short chappy... don't kill me. If I'm dead who will write this fic? Haha. R&R 


	22. Um oops?

Raven distinctively heard two other splashes as she landed. The cool of the murky water was almost comforting. Better than being roasted alive. Just then, she saw something colourful floating along. It was impossible not to notice. Which is one of the good points of dressing up like a rainbow, although not very handy for camouflage, certainly noticeable.

Raven set him upright (as in head facing up) and started dragging him to shore. Of all the incredible luck, her foot got stuck into some seaweed/ algae mass/ whatever unpleasant swampy matter.

"Perfect." She would have muttered, had there been a cubic centimetre of air in her lungs.

Hard enough as it was trying to untangle herself with one hand and keep two heads (hers and Robin's, for all the denser ones who haven't figured that out) above the water at the same time, Boy Blunder was slipping out of her grasp. His wet clothes were weighing him down. Obvious as the solution was, for conservative and more reserved people like Raven, it was, well, not a solution.

Her strength was failing, and as the saying goes, desperate times call for desperate measures. Time to carry out the virtually umimaginable…

* * *

Okay, I know this story has been stagnant and collecting dust for ages. Not my fault, blame the writer. Well, I'm not exactly Darkmickey, just a friend assign to update until Darkmickey's concert is over. Hope you like it anyway; don't mind the different styles of writing. Short chappy, but please review.

(Not fair, the reviews don't come to me. Never mind…)


	23. And they lived happily never after

I know this story has been festering for an eternity. I'm REALLY sorry for not updating. but anyway here's the ending.

* * *

The boots would go first, of course

The boots would go first, of course. Steel was heavy. Then the cape. Shirt next, it was rather tricky, that part. After which Raven barely managed to drag a half drowned Robin out of the murky waters.

"Having fun?"

Raven spun around, only to face… Billy.

"Are you behind all this?"

"Are you behind all this?" he parroted in a creepy sounding voice. Raven was shocked. It was _her _voice.

Raven tried to speak, but realized she couldn't. She was hurting all over, a sick feeling quickly overwhelming her. She tried to speak, only to find that nothing came out. Instantly a feeling of dread came over her. Blood poured out from her mouth like a stream, as the dying embers of life in her eyes went out.

"Where are your friends now, Boy Wonder?"

* * *

Robin woke up, rubbing his eyes. He had the weirdest dream, that all his friends had been tragically killed by a sadistic puppet and its master. He felt good, the kind of feeling you get when waking up from a nightmare and realizing it all wasn't real.

"Dude Robin! It's like eleven!" Beast Boy exclaimed.

"We thought you fainted in there!"

Robin smiled. "Well guys, we've all been working hard so why not cancel training today?"

The titans gave a whoop. Robin did feel good. Good enough to have another shot at confessing to Raven.

In the privacy of the roof, the two birds stared back and forth shyly. Finally, Robin broke the uncomfortable silence.

"Raven… actually I liked you for quite a long time. I was wondering… if you might want to like… go steady with me."

Raven blushed. "But… I don't know. You know… I'm the sort of person… who likes to be in control. You might feel like a puppet."

Robin's heart skipped a beat. _Puppet_? Just coincidence she should use that word. Darn the nightmare.

"Well Raven… I really like you so maybe we could at least give it a shot."

"You really don't mind?" she asked, smiling.

"Not at all."

Raven hugged him. She felt so light. Almost… empty. "Thank you. Oh yes… I have something for you."

"What is it?" Robin asked, almost too happy for words.

Raven produced a necklace. A beautiful necklace. THAT necklace.

"Raven…"

"It was yours in the first place."

Something in her voice made him shiver. It was creepy and familiar. It was…

"Billy…?!"

Robin cast aside Raven's cloak. To his horror there was nothing. Only whirring mechanisms where her body should have been.

'Raven' laughed cruelly. But it wasn't her voice. It was Billy's voice, mocking and triumphant. Robin realized why, but it was too late.

"Who's the puppet now…?"

* * *

So what do you think? Good? Bad? Morbid? Well this is a horror story, so no they-lived-happily-ever-after endings here. Please Review.


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